Natural hazards · South Arm

South Arm, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in South Arm comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2010.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is South Arm?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in South Arm to be higher than in 3% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves46%Inland flooding43%Everything else11%

By hazard

What South Arm faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Cold waves

46% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does South Arm flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in South Arm, from FEMA’s records.

3paid claims since 2010

$88Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20102026

Biggest named events

2026-04-Flooding: 1 claim, $48K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. South Arm isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Charlevoix County.

Disasters that hit South Arm

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Charlevoix County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching South Arm itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into South ArmDeclared for Charlevoix County only

Charlevoix County has had 6 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and ice storms.

Around South Arm

South Arm and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Banksmostly inland floodingVery low

Echomostly cold wavesVery low

Wilsonmostly inland floodingVery low

South Armmostly cold wavesVery low

Evelinemostly inland floodingVery low

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. South Arm covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to South Arm’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of South Arm. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across South Arm total about $646K a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.